Item 01: Clifford M. Geddes diary, 31 March-1 August 1918 - Page 109

[Page 109]

to occupy. Relieved the 53rd Bn. who went off when we arrived. The dugouts are very comfortable, I'm in one with Crain, there is a mattress on the ground, pillows, & curtains round the side, salvaged from the houses in the abandoned town, of course. Saty. 1 June Slept & read all day. In the evening we watched a lot of our big aeroplanes up above, Fritz was pouring shrapnel at them, the weather is still bright & sunny, the country everywhere being a picture, what a contrast to the winter! The news in the paper is bad, the Germans have now captured Soissons, wonder if they'll come at us in this sector. When it got dark about 10 p.m. we started on the usual old fatigue. Marched along the road in fighting order, carrying picks & shovels, turned into long grass, & dug a communication trench towards the front line. Tape was laid on the ground to show the direction. As we were digging, in the dark, one of our chaps was hit in the temple by a bullet, & it came out his nose. We came back to our dugouts about 3 a.m., it always beats me how the leader finds his way in the dark, I'm hanged if I knew whether we were going towards our pozzy or Fritz. Sunday 2 June
Got back at 3 a.m., & at 3.30 the limber arrived with our breakfast. What an opening for the Sabbath day we had! We had about half finished our